SEREMBAN: The RTK Antigen test should be made mandatory for all those going into any factory as a measure to curtail the rising number of Covid-19 clusters linked to these workplaces.

       State investment and industrialisation committee chairman Datuk Dr Mohamad Rafie Ab Malek said the government should make this mandatory nationwide if factories want to operate in full capacity.

       “The result of the RTK Antigen test can be obtained within 10 minutes and has an efficacy rate of 85%, ” he said.

       “Although the average market rate for an RTK Antigen kit is around RM50, the Health Ministry has approved one which costs less than RM20 and this can be further bought down to below RM10, making it affordable for it to be used in factories, ” he said in a statement after a visit to the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas) centre at the d’Tempat Country Club here.

       Alluding to the fact that the industrial sector was the major contributor of Covid-19 cases in Negri Sembilan, he said taking the temperature of those entering these premises alone was insufficient.

       “We need to do more than just take the temperature if we want our factories to continue to run at full steam.

       “For this to happen, we must be very sure that everyone entering the premises is Covid-19 free, ” he said.

       As at June 30, 19 of the 45 active clusters in the state were from the industrial sector.

       Dr Mohamad Rafi, who also holds the education, entrepreneurship and human capital portfolios, said factories should make this small investment to enable their plants to be in operation, uninterrupted.

       “I call upon the International Trade and Industry Ministry to propose this mandatory RTK Antigen testing to the National Security Council and the Health Ministry.

       “This Covid-19 screening is a must so that we can prevent the virus from spreading and disrupting operations at industrial areas, ” he said.

       He said through such screening, workers who test positive must be required to undergo the RT PCR test, which is 99.9% accurate, to establish their health status.

       If the second test returns positive, then the affected individual must be immediately quarantined or sent to the hospital for treatment, he said.

       Dr Mohamad Rafie said despite the test, factory managements must continue to ensure they comply with the standard operating procedures when inside a factory.